Page 32 of The Good Guy on My Porch

“That doesn’t make you a bad person. You love your work and it allows you to change lives, to help people. You do so much good, Molly. Of course, you’d wonder how bringing another person into the world would affect that.”

She let out another sob and then fell against my chest. I wrapped my arms around her and let her cry, pressing soft kisses to the top of her head.

When she finally sat up, she looked exhausted. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I’ve been extra-emotional lately and…It felt really good to have someone who knows me the way you do tell me I’m not a horrible person.”

“You are an amazing person. You’ve always been my favorite sister.”

Her grin cut through her tears and relief coursed through me. She was going to be okay. “That’s the same thing you said to all of us when we cried.”

“It never failed to make you smile.”

Her smile slipped. “Thank you for letting me stay here. I just need to figure this out on my own. I need to figure out what I want without Daniel telling me what a wonderful mother I’d make and how much he wants to be a daddy.” She rolled her eyes. “If I knew what I know now, about him being such a total marshmallow, I never would have gone on that second date with him.”

“There’s nothing wrong with marshmallows.”

“I do love him.”

“Should I expect him to show up and beat down my door?”

She sighed. “I didn’t tell him where I was going. I just told him I needed time.”

“That’s only going to hold him off for so long. Daniel might be a marshmallow, but patience isn’t one of his finer qualities.”

“I know. I just…I just need a few more days, Oscar. I need to be sure I’m making the right decision.”

“I’m not sure this is one of those things you can ever truly be sure of.”

She nodded and looked down at her hands. When she lifted her head, she was looking more like the Molly I’d always known. “What’s the story with you and the lady next door? You two seem to be spending a lot of time together.”

“She’s got a boyfriend. And she friend-zoned me early on. Didn’t even get my name right, though we’d met more than once before.”

She shook her head, her expression going from sad to angry. “She’s an idiot if she can’t see what an amazing guy you are, Oscar. Don’t waste any more time on her.”

“I’ve got another date with Lara on Friday. I’m moving on.”

“Good.” She hugged me, and I gave her the remote. I headed up to my room and tried to read, but I couldn’t get Dilly’s sad expression out of my mind. I’d thought it wasn’t my place to push or ask questions, but what if I was wrong? What if, like Molly, she just needed someone to talk to?

I closed my book. Obsessing over Dilly’s expressions and thinking about her soft lips was not going to help me accept that our relationship was only platonic. I tried to think of Lara, of her long legs and her gorgeous eyes, but I fell asleep picturing Dilly’s face, remembering the feel of her soft lips under my finger.

I dreamed of those lips on other parts of my body, doing wild, dirty things to me and I woke feeling guilty and incredibly turned on.

***

Dilly was on the porch with Buddy, a book in her hand, when I got home from a late afternoon class.

She didn’t notice me until I dropped my bag on the stairs and sat next to her.

“How was work?” she asked.

“It was good. Tuesdays I do a meditation class and we had a full room today.”

“Really? If it’s anything like that silent meal last night, maybe I’ll have to check it out.”

“Have you been by the spa?”

“Nah,” she said. “Not really my thing.”

I looked at her, eyebrows high. “Relaxation and sinus-clearing isn’t your thing?”

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